Assam Govt likely to notify tea labourers about new wages this week

 

GUWAHATI: The Assam government is expected to notify plantation workers about the minimum wages this week.

 

The minimum wages Advisory Board for plantation workers on Saturday had met representatives of the planters association, workers unions, and government officials.

 

According to the report, there was no consensus on the rate.

 

The worker's unions were insisting on Rs 351, with arrear from the year 2018.

 

The planters’ representatives, however, stated given the current situation, the industry was not able to offer that rate.

 

No further meetings have been scheduled by the Advisory Board, and official reports have suggested that a notice is likely to be released by February 10.

 

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Labour Welfare Minister Sanjay Kishan, who heads the advisory board said that they have sought suggestions from all stakeholders, and they hope to take an agreeable decision taking into account the views that both of the employees and the planters have expressed.

 

After an interim hike of Rs 30 in 2018, the tea garden workers are now getting Rs 167.

 

The wages of the workers have historically been set through negotiations between the worker's representatives and companies.

 

In February 2015, the Consultative Committee of the Planters Association (CCPA) and Assam Chah Majdoor Sangha (ACMS) signed a bilateral agreement affecting a hike in the tea garden's daily labourers from the previous Rs 49.

 

According to the 3-year agreement that year the wages with effect was Rs115 while it increased to Rs 126 in 2016 and then to Rs 137 in the third year.

 

After the agreement had expired, the state government decided to abolish the process of negotiation and constituted a minimum wages advisory board for fixing the wages.

 

Earlier, state’s Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also talked about increasing the wages for the tea garden workers within 10 days.